Under the Stars
by Elise Lowing
Summary: After their first day of traveling on their 100 Year Quest, Natsu and Lucy have a heart-to-heart conversation. Alone together under the starry sky, they finally speak their feelings. An apology, forgiveness, comfort, and confessions; it now leads them to this moment. One they had been destined to share since their first meeting long ago. All from the guidance of the stars.


**At last, I finally have some time on my hands for a one-shot story. And this is a story I've just been dying to get done for a while.**

 **I actually had this idea in my head ever since the last chapter of Fairy Tail came out. Now, to be honest, I'm pretty okay with the last chapter. Not exactly a stellar ending, but I am okay with it. That said, I would've liked to see a little more confirmation with Natsu and Lucy's relationship. I know in the Japanese translation that they have been confirmed as a couple, but I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, and I want these two to be together. Yes, I admit it. So, I would've loved to have seen them at least kiss.**

 **That said, it did get me thinking about why they didn't kiss in the end. That's when the gears in my head began to turn again, and thus, this fan fiction was created.**

 **This takes place right after Chapter 545.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, I am merely exploring a possible story.**

* * *

 **Under the Stars**

* * *

 _"We'll always be together, right?"_

* * *

Lucy looked over at Natsu, who was fighting with Gray over the last piece of cooked fish. It started out with just a death glare when they both reached for the fish at the same time. However, it wasn't long before fists started flying, and the two full-grown men were rolling around in the dirt and grass, shouting out insults to one another while they were at it.

Lucy smiled at the sight, but it was a rather sad smile. It wasn't the fight that bothered her, she had gotten used to Natsu and Gray brawling. It was something else that made her smile half-hearted.

As much she treasured the words Natsu had said to her back at her apartment earlier this morning, something in her felt incomplete. She thought that it was because of something not happening, something that she wanted in that moment.

Deep down, in her heart of hearts, Lucy was wishing Natsu kissed her. And for that moment, it seemed like that was exactly what he was going to. He grabbed her arms tightly, and his lips were only inches away from her. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face. It made her blush at the memory of it.

However, being the kid-in-an-adult's-body that Natsu was, he just pulled her off on the One Hundred Year Quest. If Lucy could be honest, it left her feeling a little hollow inside.

Even now, while that emotion had waned ever since the journey began, she couldn't get rid of it entirely.

"Lucy, is something wrong?"

Lucy blinked out of her trance and turned to see who had spoken to her. Wendy was sitting right beside her, looking up at her with concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, Wendy," Lucy said, pushing back her hair. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. It's been a long day, ya know."

"I know what you mean," Happy yawned. "I'm so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open."

From the other side of the campfire, Erza stood up, "Welll, I'm feeling a bit fatigue myself. I say we should all try and get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow, and we're going to need our strength for the travel."

"Good idea." Carla nodded. "The sun has already gone down, so this would be a good time to get some rest."

While Erza marched over to break up Natsu and Gray's fight, Lucy and Wendy got out their sleeping bags and blankets. Lucy couldn't help but snicker when she heard the whines and whimpers of the Dragon and Demon Slayers as the great Titania ordered them to stop fighting. Or rather, threatened them to stop fighting. If they didn't, Erza was going to give them a thrashing they wouldn't forget.

Natsu and Gray had experienced Erza's full wrath many times in the past to know that they didn't want to happen to them again.

In a few minutes, everyone was nestled into their sleeping bags, and all was quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the singing of the crickets, the light whistling of the wind, and the crackling of the campfire.

Although she was tired, Lucy couldn't seem to fall asleep. She tossed and turned, trying to find the most comfortable position, but to no avail. No matter how she laid, she just couldn't get comfy. Finally, she gave up and just laid flat on her back, staring straight up.

Through a gap in the trees above, she could see a small patch of the night sky, with hand full of stars twinkling in the darkness. The leaves and branches that swayed in the gentle breeze made it too obscure for her to tell what constellations they belonged to.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw something move.

Startled, she quickly turned her head. To her surprise, Natsu was getting up from his spot. She had thought he would be asleep by now. He was always the first one out whenever the team would stop to rest.

Once Natsu had gotten to his feet, he began to make his way to the edge of the forest. He didn't seem to have notice Lucy at all. He just silently walked off.

Lucy slowly sat up and stared. She knew Natsu well enough by now to know that something wasn't right. Curious, and a little worried, she quietly got out of her sleeping bag, grabbed a spare blanket, and set out to find the Dragon Slayer.

She didn't have to go more than a few yards before she reached the end of the woods. The trees all stopped, and Lucy found herself standing on the top of a small hill.

She looked over to her left and saw Natsu sitting just a few feet away. He had pulled his knees up to his chest, and was resting his chin on his arms.

What surprised Lucy the most was the look in Natsu's eyes. He was staring off into space with a very thoughtful, and almost solemn look. The last time Lucy saw Natsu like this was during their first S-Class trial, just after he had fought Gildarts.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Natsu?"

At the sound of his name, Natsu jumped a little in surprise. He then turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"Lucy? What are you doing up?"

"I think I should be asking you that." Lucy said. "Why are you out here by yourself?"

"I, uh, just needed some fresh air." Natsu answered, grinning awkwardly.

Lucy frowned and began to walk over to her friend. As she got closer, Natsu seemed to become tenser. That wasn't normal for him at all.

"Natsu, you can tell me what's wrong." Lucy said as she sat down next to him. "If something's bothering you, you can always talk to me about it."

"I told you, I just needed some air." Natsu mumbled, looking away. "I also just needed to think about some things."

"Like what?" Lucy wrapped her blanket around herself.

"Just…stuff, you know?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes. Natsu wasn't lying to her. He would never lie to her. He was the most straightforward and honest person she had ever met.

However, he wasn't being completely truthful with her either. That was definitely not like Natsu at all. If something was troubling him and he had to get it off his chest, he would've told her in a heartbeat.

Was it so bad that he had trouble telling her?

"Listen, Natsu," Lucy said softly. "If you don't want to talk about it, I can respect that. And if you just want to be left alone for a while, I'll go back."

Natsu shook his head. "No, it's okay. You can stay. I just…have a lot on my mind now."

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

"I know, it's just…I can't seem to find the words."

"Well, there's no need to rush," Lucy said kindly. "Take your time."

There was a long silence. Lucy began to run her fingers through her hair, waiting for Natsu to break the silence. Even though he had his moments, Natsu wasn't exactly the most eloquent person in the world, especially when he was put on the spot. Lucy waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. The best thing she could do right now was wait and listen.

Finally, Natsu spoke.

"The thing is," he said slowly, "this whole quest, I'm really excited for it, but it…reminded of something."

"What?" Lucy asked.

There was another silence.

Then, out of nowhere, Natsu said, "I'm sorry."

Lucy looked over at Natsu with surprise. He had lowered his head, making his bangs cover his eyes with shadow. His frown quivered.

"I'm sorry I just up and left you for a year," he said guiltily.

Lucy's eyes widened. She knew what he was talking about.

After all this time, he still remembered when he left her for a year to train.

What shocked Lucy the most was that Natsu brought it up himself. This was the first time that she had even heard him mention it.

And the first time she heard him apologize for it.

After two years, he finally apologized to her.

"I really screwed up big time," Natsu continued. "I'm such a hypocrite. I've always talked about never abandoning family, but I was the one who left you. If I had known Gramps was planning to break up the guild, I would've stayed and fought to keep the guild together. If I couldn't have done that, I would've at least taken you with me and Happy so you wouldn't have been alone. I'm…really sorry."

Lucy's eyes softened. That was the first time she had ever heard Natsu be sincere about the whole incident two years ago. And yet, she could feel the pain that his mistake had been giving him. Something that he had been bottling up for so long, but too prideful to let anyone see him hurting over it.

Gently, she reached over and placed her hand over his. This made Natsu lift his head and look over at her with wide eyes.

"Natsu, it's okay." Lucy smiled. "It's true that I was hurt when you left. But I understand why you did. You were grieving for Igneel at the time. I know that must've been really hard for you. People tend to make decisions they regret later when they're upset and heartbroken."

Natsu glanced away.

"Still," he murmured, "I should've at least taken you with us."

"Well, maybe it was actually for the better that you didn't." Lucy admitted. "If you had, we wouldn't have known about Fairy Tail breaking up, and we would've had a more difficult time finding everyone. It would've taken us a much longer time to rebuild the guild, too."

Natsu fell silent. Lucy moved her hand from his hand to his shoulder. Natsu twitched at the gesture, but he still stared down at the ground beside him.

"Besides, I forgave you a long time ago."

Natsu shifted his gaze to Lucy when she said that. She gave him a soft smile.

"The moment I saw you down in the arena," she continued, "any anger and hurt I felt towards you was gone. I know I didn't show it then, but…I was happy you were back in my life."

Natsu remained silent, taking in what Lucy had told him. Lucy took his silence as a cue for her to keep speaking.

"So, don't worry about it anymore. I've forgiven you. And I told you before, I know you had your own reasons for leaving. I think you needed some space to…well, you know. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I understand."

Natsu tightened his lips a bit.

"And I know Happy probably wouldn't have stayed behind no matter what you told him to do," Lucy said. "But we don't have to talk about it anymore. It's over now. How about we talk about something else?"

Trying to think of another subject, Lucy turned up to the stars for inspiration. Whether it was because she was a Celestial Wizard, or because she was fascinated by the night sky in general, she seemed to find assurance and comfort whenever she gazed up at the starry heavens.

Now that she was out in a clearing, she could see all of the constellations more clearly. She subconsciously named a few of them as her eyes glanced over each of them.

When she came to a certain one, she stared at it, feeling mysteriously drawn to it. A little grin came across her face.

"Hey, Natsu, you wanna know a secret?"

"What?"

"Not all of the Dragons are gone."

Natsu jolted up in alert. His eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open.

"What, for real?!" he exclaimed.

"Yep," Lucy winked. "According to an ancient legend, there's one Dragon left."

"Really?! Where is he?! Do you know?!"

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at Natsu's sudden excitement. Just the mention of the word "Dragon" was enough to get him out of a slump.

Lucy turned her face to the sky again, "Just look up."

Natsu turned his head quickly. Lucy knew that Natsu was not adept to reading the stars like she was. He squinted his eyes and looked on in confusion, trying to see what she was seeing.

"Look right there."

Lucy pointed up to a bright star shining high above them. When Natsu had focused on her finger, she began to slowly trace the outline of a large constellation.

Natsu caught his breath.

"Wait, are you saying…!"

"Yep, the Dragon constellation," Lucy smiled. "Also known as Draco."

"Draco?" Natsu whispered, looking on in wonder.

"The legend behind Draco is that he's the Celestial Dragon." Lucy explained. "Some even say that his powers rival that of the Celestial Spirit King's. However, he hasn't been seen for many years. But rumor has it that he has his own key, and that it's out there just waiting to be found."

Lucy was then struck with an idea. She brought a finger to her chin and grinned.

"You know, after I find Aquarius's Key again, I think I'll search for Draco's Key next. After all, it would be pretty awesome to have a Spirit Dragon in my arsenal. That certainly would be wicked trump card to use in the Grand Magic Games."

"Yeah, that'd be the best thing ever!" Natsu said excitedly. "The other guilds wouldn't stand a chance! Let's do it! We'll find his key!"

"Right!"

Both Natsu and Lucy laughed. A small thought in Lucy's mind came sneaking up on her. There had been many nights when she and Natsu would stay up late and talk. Just like now, they would think of ways to make each other smile and laugh, even when the journey was hard. It was moments like this that Lucy was so grateful for the relationship they had. Even if it was nothing more than a friendship to Natsu, she was still grateful for what was there.

"See? There's the Natsu I know. Cheerful and smiling."

Natsu gave Lucy one of his goofy smile. The one that warmed her heart every time.

"Well, I can't stay miserable with you around," he said. "You brighten up my day, you know?"

"Yeah," Lucy blushed a bit. "Well, you brightened up my day, too. You always seem to have a way of making feel better when I'm sad."

"Well, we are a team, aren't we? We look out for each other. And…well…"

Lucy looked over at Natsu. The way he was now hesitating made her curious.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," Natsu answered quickly. "What I mean is…I…I hope we'll be a team forever."

Lucy felt her heart sink, although she hid it. Was that all Natsu wanted? To just be her teammate? It seemed that way. Sadly, she figured that Natsu just wasn't ready for a serious relationship.

As heart-wrenching as that was for Lucy, she concealed it.

"Of course, we will," she replied. "You said so yourself, we'll always be together. So, we'll always be a team."

Lucy then yawned.

"Well, I'm try to get some sleep. You should do the same thing. I'll see you in the morning."

As Lucy moved to get up, Natsu suddenly grabbed her arm. She froze and caught her breath. He suddenly looked away from her, and his expression was one of nervousness.

And although it was dark, Lucy was sure that she could see a tinge of red in Natsu's cheeks.

"Natsu?" Lucy's voice hitched a bit.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I'm…not good at this."

"At what?"

"Well…"

Natsu hesitated for a moment. He swallowed hard as Lucy sat back down next to him. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his eyes with mild distress.

"Are you okay, Natsu?"

"Yeah, it's just…I don't know how to say this."

"Say what?"

"What I want to say."

"Which is what?"

Natsu screwed up his mouth, which in turn messed up his whole face. Lucy had to bring a fist to her mouth to keep herself from giggling. It was very rare for Natsu to show when he was nervous, but she couldn't deny that it was kind of cute.

"It's…" Natsu hesitated, "It's about…what happened this morning. You know, at your apartment."

Lucy's smile quickly faded. Now she was listening intently. Natsu must have noticed, because he became even more uneasy. He shook his head and groaned.

"Sorry, I'm not good at this. It's just…I want to know that I meant what I said. We will be together forever."

"Yeah, of course," Lucy whispered, her disappointment returning. "We are friends after all. Best friends. And we are in the same guild."

Natsu shook his head quickly.

"That's not what I meant!" he sounded so exasperated that Lucy jolted in shock.

Natsu swallowed hard and recollected himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, and exhaled deeply.

"Sorry, I'm…I'm not good with emotions."

Lucy blinked. Since when did Natsu ever talk about feelings? Just where was this going?

"Natsu, are you sure you're okay?" Lucy asked, concerned. "This isn't like you at all."

"Well, it's gotta be some part of me, I'm not someone else." Natsu replied, rolling his eyes. "But…oh geez, dammit, why does this have to be so hard?"

Lucy bit her lip. The way Natsu was acting, she would think that he was about to go into battle against a formidable foe. He was definitely not himself right now. It was starting to scare her a bit.

Natsu looked down at his toes. "I can stand up and fight against Zeref and Acnologia. Sure, they were scary, but compared to this…they seem like nothing."

"Natsu?"

"Sorry, Lucy. It's just…back at your apartment. I know you thought I was going to…well…you know…"

Lucy's eyes widened with shock, and her breathing hitched. Her heart skipped a beat before pounding hard inside her chest.

"Y-You…" she stuttered, "You mean…were you…?"

"Erm, maybe…?" Natsu's face started to turn blood scarlet.

"Then…why didn't…"

Lucy couldn't finish her sentence. Already tears were welling up in her eyes, and she felt a horrible pain in her chest.

"I told you, I'm not good at this." Natsu hung his head in shame. "I'm not stupid, I know what...romance is. And I know…I know it's something you want. But…I'm such a wuss. I'm…I'm just gonna come out and say it. I'm…I'm scared of what…of what you want."

Lucy stiffened when she heard that. The hurt in her chest was starting to grow. She felt worse than when she thought Natsu didn't reciprocate her feelings. She wanted to run away somewhere and have a long cry. She was already starting to tremble from the words that were spoken to her.

"You don't have to torture yourself over it then," she whispered bitterly.

"But…" Natsu quickly said, "that's not what scares me the most."

Lucy paused, the ache inside her starting to subsiding.

"What scares me most is what…what I want."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Lucy's voice quivered. Whether from fear or anticipation, she didn't know.

Natsu stared at the ground for a moment longer. Then, with a deep breath, he straightened himself up, and turned to face Lucy. Under the glow of the moon and stars, Lucy saw that Natsu looked more like a man than he ever had before. His dark eyes stared back at her, refusing to let her gaze go. She couldn't look away. She didn't want to.

"Lucy, you know I take my friendships seriously." Natsu said, the sincerity in his voice was strong. "Happy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla, and everyone else in Fairy Tail. Everyone is important to me. But…then there's you. You were always important to me. But…I don't know. Somewhere along the line, you became more than important. You became…special. I knew that what I felt towards you was more than just friendship. But I…I didn't know how to accept them. All I knew is that they were strong. It was like the thought of losing you was…it was so painful. Just as painful as losing Igneel. I just…as these feeling grew, I didn't know how to handle them. And honestly, I still don't. I did talk to Gildarts about it when we met up with him on our one-year training. But when I came back, I…I couldn't confess. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I told ya, I can stand up against Zeref and Acnologia, but when it comes to this…I'm just like a scared little kid."

Natsu swallowed hard and mumbled, "And back at your apartment, I…I was gonna…I was gonna kiss ya."

Lucy caught her breath. She felt her soul shake.

"You…You were?" she said softly. "Then…why…why didn't…?"

"I chickened out." Natsu gave an awkward grin, trying to mask his wounded pride. "Sorry, I told you I was a wuss when it came to this." Natsu then frowned a bit in deep thought. "But also, because…it…it wasn't perfect."

"Perfect?"

"Yeah, I mean, with Happy watching and all. You know how big of a troll he can be."

Lucy couldn't help it. She giggled. Natsu chuckled a bit in response before becoming serious again.

"But yeah," he shrugged, "if it ever happened. And yeah, I thought about it…more than a few times. And…if by some chance it did, I…I wanted it to be perfect."

Lucy stared for a moment, still taking in all that she heard. So many emotions were swirling around inside her that she didn't know what to do with herself. She turned her gaze toward the night sky, hoping that would help in some way.

As soon as she did, all at once, it was like the answer came to her. The whole night sky was lit up in a wonder of silver and pearl from the stars and full moon. The constellations themselves seemed to tell her what she should do. What her heart and soul were telling her to do. What she knew was right.

All this time, the feelings she had for so long, the feelings she thought that would never be accepted, were reciprocated.

Natsu had made his first move, now it was her turn. Her heart raced with fearful anticipation, and her limbs began to feel numb. Yet, this wasn't a feeling she didn't want to feel. She wanted to feel it.

"You know," Lucy turned back to Natsu, "I can't see how it can get any more perfect than this."

Natsu's eyes widened, and his whole body tensed. He then gave a nervous smile.

"Y-Yeah, I guess so," he stuttered. "I just…I've never done this before."

"Well, me neither." Lucy replied shyly. "But…"

For a moment, Natsu and Lucy just stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, through some kind of psychic link between them, they slowly drew closer to each other. Their faces were just inches away now. Lucy began to feel the Natsu's warmth on her face, and their breath mingled together. Her anticipation slowly morphed into longing, but she still felt afraid. Every instinct was screaming at her to retreat. Only a tiny sliver of courage held her.

It was tiny, but that courage was more powerful than all of her fears combined.

Finally, Natsu and Lucy's lips met.

First, they just lightly touched each other. It was quick and unsure. Yet that simple kiss was what the two of them needed. It was like a key to a lock that had not been opened in ages. The barriers of fear, uncertainty, and repression disappeared.

It was alright. There was nothing to be afraid of.

As soon as Natsu and Lucy pulled back for a second, the two immediately closed the gap between them again.

This kiss was deeper. It was a real kiss between two people in love. One that was filled with passion and tenderness, yet so calm and innocent. It was just right.

Lucy closed her eyes as her head swam. Her heart raced hard and fast in her chest, and her stomach did summersaults. Natsu's lips were softer than she thought, and were as warm as the summer sun. She became lost in the kiss. Her arms acted on their own, moving up to Natsu's back to his shoulders. She pulled herself closer to him, tightening her embrace as his arms snaked around her back and shoulders.

Lucy had never felt anything like this before. It was exhilarating. Overwhelming. She felt a million paradoxical emotions flood through her. So weak and vulnerable, yet so strong and invincible. Scared beyond belief, yet more courageous than ever before. And most of all, she felt so happy that she wanted to cry.

The two remained in their embrace for what seemed like an eternity. For them, there was nothing else in the world. Just the two of them. The two of them, and the joy they reciprocated.

It was perfect.

After some time, the two slowly pulled away from each other. Lucy took in a deep breath and smiled.

"Wow," she giggled, "that was…I don't know. I never thought you would be such a good ki-"

Natsu lost his grip on Lucy and fell to the ground. Lucy jumped and let out a small squeak in surprise. Natsu's eyes were the size of saucers, and had a very disoriented haze in them. His face had become so red that he could put a tomato to shame.

"Natsu?!"

"Oh, sorry." Natsu said dizzily, his voice shifting from high to low like he was drunk. "Didn't see that comin'. Man, that was really something."

Lucy paused for a moment before letting out a giddy laugh. This was too much. Who would've guess a kiss would be enough to bring down the great and powerful Fire Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail?

"It's okay." Lucy said, blushing. "At least it didn't break you, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Natsu replied, still a little shaken. "I don't think I can sit up right now."

"Oh. Well, just try to pull yourself together."

Looking down at Natsu, Lucy watched him take few deep breaths. Even though it was dark, she could see a spot on his chest that thumped up and down rapidly. She almost expected to see his heart to burst out of his chest.

Did that kiss really affect him that much?

In a matter of seconds, he had regained his composure. The redness in his face faded a bit, but a pink tinge still remained in his cheeks.

"Sorry about that," Natsu grinned at up Lucy, his voice still a little funny. "That was way more intense than I was expecting."

"It's alright." Lucy replied. "It was pretty intense for me, too. But hey, it didn't kill us, right?"

Natsu made a chuckle that nearly melted Lucy's heart. He then turned his face up to the sky.

"How do you feel now?" Lucy asked, curious

"Well, kinda funky actually." Natsu answered. "My brain's swimming, my heart's going a mile a minute, and it feels like I've got butterflies in my belly."

Lucy giggled again. "You're so dramatic. I guess you never kissed a girl before."

Natsu looked up at Lucy.

"I'm surprised you haven't fainted," he said. "Usually you freak out over these kinds of things."

Lucy shrunk in on herself and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"I guess…I was more ready for it," she muttered.

At that moment, a light gust of wind swept over the landscape. Lucy shivered and pulled her blanket tightly around her.

"Are you cold?" Natsu asked, becoming a little more serious again.

"How'd you guess?" Lucy replied sarcastically.

"Well, it is a little chilly tonight."

"You seem fine."

"I'm a fire wizard." Natsu said in a matter-of-fact way. "You know the cold doesn't affect me."

"Well, good for you."

Another breeze snuck up on Lucy. She tightened the blanket around herself and curled into a ball for warmth. Then, to her surprise, Natsu lifted his hand towards her. This made her pause and look back and forth between Natsu and his hand, unsure of what he was trying to say.

"Well, I am a fire wizard." Natsu grinned, his turning red again. "And if you're cold, then…well…only if you want to that is."

Lucy's eyes widened, and a strong blush came over her face. However, her shock lasted only for a second or two before it was replaced with a warm smile.

"Well, if you insist."

Slowly, unsurely, but also happily, Lucy snuggled up against the Dragon Slayer. The moment the blanket was wrapped around the two of them, she felt the cold leave her instantly. She nestled closer to Natsu, and his arms slowly wrapped her.

Oh, Natsu's warmth. It spread through Lucy like a spark of fire, from the tips of her ear all the way down to her toes. That, along with his strong arms around her, made her feel safe and secure.

"That better?" Natsu asked. Lucy was so close she could feel the vibration of his vocal cords in his neck.

"Yeah, much better," she whispered.

As Lucy rested her head under Natsu's chin, she felt something thump against her cheek. Something about that thump made her stop. A feeling of hope suddenly came out of nowhere, and filled her whole being. With wide eyes, she moved her ear over the thumping spot and listened.

She heard steady beat. One that was filled with power and strength, but also kindness and gentleness. It was so thunderous and terrifying, but also so tender and wonderful to listen to.

Lucy's memory went back to a time when she couldn't hear that sound. The moment in time when Happy flew into the guild in a panic.

And with a dying Natsu.

Lucy still remembered the terror that struck her when she couldn't find Natsu's heartbeat. For one dreadful moment, she thought that Natsu was really going to die. That he was going to leave her for good. The thought of losing him forever was so horrible it all but crushed her soul.

But Lucy wasn't afraid now. She was hit with an intense emotion of joy, happiness, and love. She couldn't help herself. Tears welled up in her eyes. She let out a small sob and trembled as they streamed down her face.

"Whoa, Lucy, what's wrong?" Natsu asked, concerned.

"Nothing." Lucy replied. "I'm just…so happy."

Natsu blinked.

"I can hear your heartbeat," Lucy said. "You're alive. I'm so happy you're alive."

Lucy buried her face into Natsu's chest and began to cry.

"I'm sorry. I just can't seem to stop."

"No, it's okay," Natsu smiled, stroking her hair. "I understand."

For a few minutes, Natsu let Lucy cry out her emotions. When she had calmed down, he lifted her chin to make her look him in the eye.

"I told you before," he said softly, "we'll always be together. And I meant it. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be by your side."

Lucy smiled.

"You're right," she said. "We'll always be together. Because…I want to always be with you."

Natsu grinned, and the two stared into each other's eyes.

"Well," Lucy exhaled, "I guess this means it's official. I mean…that we're a couple now."

"Looks that way." Natsu shrugged.

"Goodness knows how we're going to tell the others tomorrow. Knowing them, they'll probably make a big deal."

"So, what? Let them take it how they want. What we have is ours, not theirs. Besides, there's no one else I'd rather share it with."

Lucy's heart fluttered happily. She closed the gap and kissed Natsu again, who welcomed it. It was just as passionate as before, and maybe a little more so. Their hearts pressed against each other, beating together in perfect time.

All at once, all that they had been through, all the laughter and tears, all the joys and sorrows, all the losses they both faced, all the hardships that tried to bring them to their knees, all of that seemed like one huge blessing.

All of that guided them to where they were now. It guided them to each other. Right into each other's arms.

One thing was for sure, Lucy knew that this was only the start of a much greater adventure. She knew Natsu knew it as well. She could feel it. Their life-long journey together was just beginning. This was the adventure they had been waiting for more than any other. Ever since that day they met in Hargeon, this was the path they were destined to walk together.

Neither one had to say it, because they both knew it was true. Everything could describe the depth of their love for each other. All of the words they said to each other, all of words they didn't need to say, all of the actions they did for each other, and all of the affection they gave each other. That was more than enough.

Natsu and Lucy lips parted, but they still held each other in a loving embrace. Tiredness and fatigue finally caught up with them, and they dozed off.

Tomorrow was going to be a new day. A new day with a new path. One they would walk together until the end.

From high above in the heavens, the Dragon constellation seemed to be smiling down at them.

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 **Well, that took longer than I thought it would. I just couldn't quite figure out the ending. It went through a bunch of different incarnations before I settled on the one I have now. Mostly because I was worried that I would make the characters out-of-character.**

 **I think Natsu would be a little more honest and open with Lucy if the two of them were alone like this. Happy's cute and all, but he does have a habit of ruining moments. Besides, this would be too important to have an audience watching. It had to just be the two of them.**

 **Also (hehe), I kind of like the idea that Natsu would be the one who nearly faints after a kiss, while Lucy is the one who does a better job keeping it together. It turned out a whole lot better than I previously envisioned. Besides, it was cute.**

 **The whole story just turned out to be really sweet. It took a long time to write, but it was worth it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!**

 **Have a Good Day!**


End file.
